The reeling Portland Thorns will try to regroup after a pair of ugly losses left the coaches and players looking glassy-eyed as if they have been rocked by a couple of punches from Floyd Mayweather.

The Thorns have lost three consecutive games, with the last two losses coming by blowouts. The defending NWSL champs' confidence has been shaken to its core and now they will try to snap the losing streak while playing without the majority of their national team players when they host Washington Sunday at Providence Park.

"We've put ourselves in a major hole," Thorns coach Paul Riley said. "We have to improve in a lot of areas."

The Thorns' three-game losing streak is the longest in their short franchise history and they never lost more than two consecutive games during their championship run in 2013.

The defense, once a strong area of the team, collapsed in the past two games.The Thorns have conceded a combined 10 goals during the losing streak, but it was the past two losses that has caused the most concern.

The Timbers were humiliated 5-0 by Western New York at home June 7, the worst loss in the team's history. That jaw-dropping performance eclipsed the previous worst loss, a 4-1 setback at Boston May 28.

What makes the losses even more surprising was the defense had been the anchor of the team while the offense was still trying to find itself earlier in the season. The Thorns had conceded six goals in the first nine games before traveling to Boston.

"You can see a lack of confidence. The problem is when you're young and things don't go your way, things can collapse really quick," Riley said. "I think that's what's happening. I think mentally they're a little bit frazzled in the back."

The defense will have to figure out a way to reverse course without goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and center back Rachel Van Hollebeke.

Angerer is with the German national team ahead of its friendly against Canada June 18. Angerer wouldn't have been eligible to play against Washington, she received a red card in the loss to Western New York, resulting in a one-game suspension.

Van Hollebeke, who made her season debut in the loss to the Flash after recovering from an ankle injury, was a late call up to the U.S. national team for friendlies against France June 14 and June 19.

"Individually, we each need to go a little bit harder," midfielder Meleana Shim said. "Fundamentally, we all are very sound technically. We know what is expected of us. It's more of having that little extra energy and fire."

Van Hollebeke will join forward Alex Morgan and midfielder Allie Long on the national team. The two were also called up after Morgan made her season debut with the Thorns in the game against the Flash after recovering from an ankle injury. Portland forward Christine Sinclair was called up to the Canadian national team for its game against Germany and she will miss the game against Washington.

The departure of Morgan, Sinclair and Long removes three major threats from an offense that still hasn't found in abundance what it's looking for.

Goals.

The Thorns season-long problem of scoring goals continues unabated, they have scored just 10 goals in the first 10 games of the season.Riley doesn't see the absence of so many key players as adversity, he views the situation as an opportunity for others to show what they can do. There's no better time to shine than when the team needs it most.

Amidst a three-game losing streak and possibly falling further behind the top-four playoff spots in the league, the Thorns need a very good performance.

"I think everybody thinks they have a chance at getting in the lineup," Riley said. "Everybody gets a chance to show me again that they can play."